Die skrywer en nuwe publikasiekontekste: interaktiwiteit en wisselwerking in aanlyngemeenskappe – Fanie Viljoen se Pynstiller as gevallestudie

Abstract

The Web 2.0 context, where interactivity and cooperation between multiple readers are possible, creates unique dynamics and narrative forms. For the author the participatory environment offers new narrative and publication possibilities. The need arises for a better understanding of this changing environment, the online interaction and the developing creative forms. Globally there are big differences in terms of available technology, internet access and user patterns, and therefore it is also necessary to investigate and describe the narrative practices in local contexts. This article discusses two versions of South African author Fanie Viljoen's graphic novel Pynstiller/Painkiller, which were published on two different platforms and network contexts. Pynstiller (Painkiller) had its origins in a creative and research project with artists' books and practice-based research as its focus. In the project Transgressions and boundaries of the page Viljoen adapted his own short story with the theme of self-mutilation among teenagers to a graphic novel. Simultaneously with the remediation of the story Viljoen also established a Facebook group, placed the completed pages on it and started a conversation about the topical theme of self-mutilation. The novel later became available as a cell phone novel (in English and Afrikaans) on Yoza Cellphone Stories, with the graphics adapted to the dimensions of a standard cell phone screen. Yoza cellphone stories can be read on the Yoza mobisite, among others, which also makes provision for readers' comments. The reader responses and interactions that were observed in the different network contexts offer an opportunity to use this work as a case study to examine the dynamics between the author, text, context and reader in online communities in Web 2.0 contexts. Ruth Page's (2010) theory of narrative interaction as explained in her article "Interactivity and interaction: Text and talk in online communities" serves as the theoretical framework for the investigation. The article is organised in the following sections: (1) contextualisation in terms of the participatory culture in Web 2.0 contexts and Page's theory of narrative interaction; (2) the text and publication contexts of Fanie Viljoen's Pynstiller/Painkiller; (3) discussion of Page's theory with application to the interaction and interactivity in the Web 2.0 publication contexts of Pynstiller/Painkiller; (4) discussion of observed patterns and conversations in the Facebook Pynstiller group and Yoza Cellphone Stories; (5) conclusion and theory refinement